Nike CEO Mark Parker is known for constantly questioning his employees to push them to think harder. Research shows that leaders who ask questions and encourage employees to find answers themselves are more effective than those who try to have all the answers. Parker's style reflects that of a "multiplier" leader, who believes abilities can be cultivated. Multipliers tend to lead twice as productive teams as "diminishers" by prompting employees to solve problems, boosting self-efficacy. Parker acknowledges inquisitiveness supports development and ensures people challenge existing ways of thinking.

2. ARTICLE OVERVIEW
• NIKE CEO MARK PARKER, FORTUNE'S ADAM LASHINSKY REPORTED THAT PARKER IS NOTORIOUS FOR
CONSTANTLY ASKING QUESTIONS THAT PUSH EMPLOYEES TO THINK HARDER.
• PARKER ACKNOWLEDGES THAT INQUISITIVENESS IS A KEY PART OF HIS LEADERSHIP STRATEGY AND A
WAY TO SUPPORT HIS EMPLOYEES' DEVELOPMENT

3. ARTICLE OVERVIEW
• RESEARCH SUGGESTS THAT PARKER'S HIT ON A WINNING MANAGEMENT TACTIC: LEADERS WHO ASK
QUESTIONS AND ENCOURAGE THEIR TEAM TO FIND THE ANSWERS TEND TO BE MORE EFFECTIVE THAN
THOSE WHO TRY TO KNOW AND DO IT ALL THEMSELVES.
• WRITING IN THE HARVARD BUSINESS REVIEW, LIZ WISEMAN AND GREG MCKEOWN IDENTIFY TWO TYPES
OF LEADERS: "DIMINISHERS" AND "MULTIPLIERS."

4. CHIEF OFFICER ANDY CAMPION
• "WHAT'S FASCINATING ABOUT [PARKER'S] USE OF QUESTIONS IS THAT ITLEAVES OTHER LEADERS
EMPOWERED TO FIND THE ANSWERS THEMSELVES AND ACT ON THEM.”
• THAT OBSERVATION CLOSELY MIRRORS THOSE THAT OTHER NIKE EMPLOYEESHAVE MADE IN THE PAST.

5. 2009
• A 2009 USA TODAY ARTICLE NOTED THAT EMPLOYEES IN NIKE'S RESEARCH LAB "SAY THERE'S NO TELLING
WHEN PARKER WILL DROP IN AND START REELING OFF QUESTIONS."

6. 2012
• IN 2012, HE TOLD FAST COMPANY, "I END UP ASKING A LOT OF QUESTIONS, SO THE TEAM THINKS THINGS
THROUGH. I DON'T SAY 'DO THIS, DO THAT.' I'M NOT A MICROMANAGER.I DON'T BELIEVE IN THAT. … AT
NIKE, WE HAVE INCREDIBLY STRONG PEOPLE. THEY KNOW WHAT TO DO."

7. EFFECTIVE LEADERSHIP
• RESEARCH SUGGESTS THAT PARKER'S HIT ON A WINNING MANAGEMENT TACTIC: LEADERS WHO ASK
QUESTIONS AND ENCOURAGE THEIR TEAM TO FIND THE ANSWERS TEND TO BE MORE EFFECTIVE THAN
THOSE WHO TRY TO KNOW AND DO IT ALL THEMSELVES.

8. LIZ WISEMAN AND GREG MCKEOWN
• WROTE IN THE THE HARVARD BUSINESS REVIEW THERE ARE TWO DIFFERENT TYPES OF LEADERS
• "STOP WORRYING ABOUT HAVING ALL THEANSWERS”

9. LIZ WISEMAN AND GREG MCKEOWN
• "USE YOUR KNOWLEDGE OF THE BUSINESS TO ASK INSIGHTFUL QUESTIONSTHAT PROMPT THE MEMBERS
OF YOUR TEAM TO STOP, THINK, AND THEN RETHINK."
• SOME IMPORTANT TOOLS FOR SELF-MANAGEMENT AND BECOMING AN EFFECTIVE LEADER IS FOSTERING A
PRODUCTIVE ENVIRONMENT, SETTING A DIRECTION, AND MANAGING TALENT.

10. HARVARD BUSINESS REVIEW
• SOME LEADERS DRAIN ALL THE INTELLIGENCE AND CAPABILITY OUT OF THEIR TEAMS BECAUSE THEY NEED
TO BE THE SMARTEST, MOST CAPABLE PERSON IN THE ROOM, THESE MANAGERS OFTEN SHUT DOWN THE
SMARTS OF OTHERS, ULTIMATELY STIFLING THE FLOW OF IDEAS.
• MANAGING YOURSELF AND BRINGING THE BEST OUT OF YOUR PEOPLE IN ADETAILED FASHION
• BREAKS DOWN TWO DIFFERENT LEADERS

11. TWO TYPES OF LEADERS
• DIMINISHERS
• MULTIPLIERS

12. DIMINISHERS
• DIMINISHERS TEND TO MINIMIZE INTELLIGENCE AMONG THEIR TEAM BECAUSE THEY ASSUME THEIR
EMPLOYEES' ABILITIES ARE FIXED
• UNDERUTILIZE PEOPLE AND LEAVE CREATIVITY AND TALENT ON THE TABLE.

13. DIMINISHERS
• THE DIMINISHER’S VIEW OF INTELLIGENCE IS BASED ON ELITISM, SCARCITY, AND STASIS: THAT IS, YOU
WON’T FIND HIGH LEVELS OF BRAINPOWER EVERYWHERE, IN EVERYONE, AND IF YOUR EMPLOYEES DON’T
GET IT NOW, THEY NEVER WILL.

14. MULTIPLIERS
• MULTIPLIERS BELIEVE ABILITIES CAN BE CULTIVATED.
• WISEMAN AND MCKEOWN FOUND THAT MULTIPLIERS TEND TO LEAD TEAMS THAT ARE UP TO TWICE AS
PRODUCTIVE AS THOSE LED BY DIMINISHERS.

15. MULTIPLIERS
• ONE KEY CHARACTERISTIC OF MULTIPLIERS IS ASKING HARD QUESTIONS AND PROMPTING PEOPLE TO GO
FIND THE ANSWERS.
• COMING UP WITH SOLUTIONS BOOSTS EMPLOYEES' SELF-EFFICACY AND CONFIDENCE THAT THEY CAN
HELP SOLVE ORGANIZATIONAL PROBLEMS.

16. MORE ON PARKER
• PARKER ACKNOWLEDGES THAT INQUISITIVENESS IS A KEY PART OF HIS LEADERSHIP STRATEGY AND A
WAY TO SUPPORT HIS EMPLOYEES' DEVELOPMENT.
• RELENTLESSLY QUESTIONING HIS EMPLOYEES IS A WAY TO ENSURE THAT PEOPLE NEVER GET TOO
COMFORTABLE WITH ONE WAY OF THINKING.

17. MORE ON PARKER
• AS HE TOLD USA TODAY, "THE HARDEST THING FOR A COMPANY TO DO IS TO CHANGE WHEN IT DOESN'T
SEEM LIKE CHANGE IS NECESSARY."

18. QUESTIONS
• HOW CAN PARKER BECOME AN EFFECTIVE LEADER?
• WHAT TYPE OF LEADERS DOES NIKE HAVE?

19. QUESTIONS
• HOW CAN PARKER IMPROVE HIS LEADERSHIP STRATEGY?
• WILL QUESTIONING THE EMPLOYEES TOO MUCH OVERWHELM THEM?

20. WORK CITED
• LEBOWITZ, SHANA. "HERE'S THE LEADERSHIP STRATEGY NIKE'S CEO USES TO MAKE EMPLOYEES
SMARTER." BUSINESS INSIDER. BUSINESS INSIDER, INC, 14 NOV. 2015. WEB. 31 MAR. 2016.
• WISEMAN, LIZ, AND GREG MCKEOWN. "MANAGING YOURSELF: BRINGING OUTTHE BEST IN YOUR
PEOPLE." HARVARD BUSINESS REVIEW. N.P., 01 MAY 2010. WEB. 31 MAR. 2016.